Do you want to be a great leader? Not just somebody who’s good at your job. Not just somebody who gets promoted and earns awards.
But a great leader. Somebody whom others willingly follow — with enthusiasm. Do you want to be a person whose opinions matter? Someone others look up to, and want to be like?
Then, according to Jack Zenger, you need charisma.
At LFI’s September 29 Leadership Briefing, keynote speaker Jack Zenger said that most people believe that great leaders are born, not made. Most people think that it’s hard to learn the skills that make leaders great.
But Zenger believes that charisma, the ability to connect emotionally with others, is the main quality that separates great leaders from the runners-up. Zenger believes it’s a skill that can be learned.
Once mastered, charisma generates a contagious enthusiasm that people find inspiring and motivating. Research shows that inspiring leadership increases cooperation among employees, heightens creativity and ups productivity.
As LFI members, we obviously want to be great leaders. Hearing messages like Jack Zenger’s reinforces the knowledge we need to excel. We’re fortunate that LFI’s support of our goals doesn’t end with our class year, and that we can benefit from LFI involvement through events like the Leadership Briefings.
